1 Arrival

The scene around her changed. Rows of school buildings came into view but there were no students around. Standing next to her were five other girls her age and they were all looking down aggressively.

Gu Yuan looked down and was met with the world's coldest glare, with one eye blocked by her heeled schooled shoe.

She didn't immediately retract her feet. The aura exerted by the person below warned her not to move. The black bottomless pits the boy used for eyes told her that her life would be short. She didn't need a plot to tell her so.

Those pits were so cold and desolate, the only emotion that floated in them was hatred; heavy thick, blood drenched hatred.

Gu Yuan lit a candle for herself.

Aiya! I'm dead! This isn't going to be easy.

Soon, the memories of the original owner flooded in. She was the only child of the Gu family. Therefore, Father Gu did everything in his power to spoil his little Princess into a nuisance. There was nothing in this world that she wanted and couldn't get. Coupled with money were good (not exceptional) grades and the beauty of a goddess.

Everything in her life was going smilingly until this stupid boy under her feet showed up. Three years ago, he popped in the Gu family with his miserably poor mother claiming to be a Gu. Father Gu was surprised that he actually had son. It seemed the opening of leaves spreading branches he did in his youth paid off.

But he wasn't a fool. He had faced many women claiming to have his children just to get a pinch of his money. He wasn't the kind of man to remember what beauty he slept with. In fact he forgot as soon as he walked out of the room.

Since the number of those who claimed to have his child never decreased, he never wasted time in ordering a paternity test. So in case it was found that the child wasn't his, he would offer some money to chase the woman away. He was ready to do the same for this boy and mother pair.

But, my oh my, with the best facilities in the country, it was found there was actually a Gu Yue Zheng the family.

This development really opened Father Gu's eyes. He was ready to treat his son to the Gu life until he met the deep frown on his Princess' face.

Gu Yuan didn't like it at all. She was the true Gu blood. This stupid boy was just a side dish- illegitimate- no true Gu blood in his body. Why should he be treated like her?

So with the help of her whining, Gu Yue Zheng was pushed to the bottom of the food chain in the Gu family. He was placed in mediocre schools and given mediocre clothes and care. And almost everything was okay until the stupid boy started to show outstanding performance.

The public recognition he got pushed Father Gu to try to save his face by taking the boy to the elite school that his Princess was going to. The Princess was already going to the most expensive school in the country, sending Gu Yue Zheng to a less expensive one would show his partiality. So no matter how the Princess whined and begged, Father Gu did not barge. He simply bought her more gifts to soother her pained heart.

But these were not enough. When Gu Yue Zheng arrived in school, the Princess took it upon herself to humiliate him and crush his spirit as much as she could. She tortured Gu Yue Zheng much that no one dared to be his friend.

Besides, he is an illegitimate child. It is already shameful. Everyone else comes from a noble ancestry. He was a commoner. Try helping him once. But being friends is too much. Clearly nobles and commoners don't have similar topics to talk about. While he is complaining about the price of meat, where can they start from? It's better not to try. Besides, life is hard. He is a man, it will be good for him to learn to stand against a girl. It will improve his spirit.

All those were the excuses they came out with in order not to get caught up by Gu Yuan. Their parents had already preached to them about the might of Gu. They didn't want to try testing for themselves.

Little did they know that he was not only standing against a little Princess but Father Gu, Gu family servants and his mother.

When Gu Yuan digested the story, she gained some confidence. She returned the boy's glare with a scoff, "Staring at me like that, do you think that you scare me? That you'll suddenly gain some momentum and do away with me? That I'll suddenly turn to dust because your stare is too intense?"

With her leg firmly settled on his head, she bent down slowly so that she supported her weight in her knee sing her elbow. She looked at him squarely, "Yue Zheng, you get this," she lowered her voice to a menacing frequently, "It will always be me first and you after. Gu Yuan above and Yue Zheng below. Me before you."

She moved her leg off him so that both his eyes were open to her. His murderous inky blacks met her nonchalant Phoenix orbs.

When he held her gaze for a second, his head was suddenly slapped so that it hit the ground with a thud.

After delivering the fierce slap, Ye Shuang shot at Yue Zheng, "This frog! Dare to eat swan meat? You actually dare to look at Gu Yuan. Who said you are worthy?"

"He is a pervert," another one spat at him, "Utterly disgusting. He has no manners."

At this point, Gu Yue Zheng who felt he was just seconds away from a bloodbath that involved all six girls before him, tried to get away before he lost the remnants of his control.

But the moment he lifted his torso off the ground, he was sent crashing back down.

Gu Yuan'a black wedge nailed him firmly to the ground with great force. "Who gave you permission to stand up?" She asked, her foot was settled nicely on his chest. "You put in so much effort into showing up in front of me just to ruin my day and now you think you can just leave. Yue Zheng, you still have to settle accounts-"

Yue Zheng's hands firmly grabbed the Princess' ankle. His control fleeting with his growing rage.

Today, I will break this leg off.

All at once, the other girls screamed, kicked, slapped, spat on, punched and jumped onto Yue Zheng.

Gu Yuan had to pry her leg out of his hand with great difficulty. Two of her friends had to struggle with her to free her leg while the other three continued to hit Yue Zheng. They pulled as hard as they could but his fingers didn't move an inch. The girls screamed even more.

Yue Zhe did his best to hold onto that leg and bend it in an awkward direction. Even when he tasted blood due to some rapture in his mouth. Even when he felt a kick to his eye. Even when he went through the consequences of his actions. He didn't let go of that leg.

Gu Yuan felt that fear that she had just a few minutes back resurface. The fear filled up every crevice in her bones, like an old demon that knew the parts of her where it should crawl to have the best effect. All she could think about was freeing her leg. She couldn't even remember to breathe. Every part of her body including her hair was on tension. Soon she was seated on the ground, screaming and breaking a cold sweat along with the two other girls that tried to free her leg.

Through the beating, Yue Zhe never stopped looking at Gu Yuan's face. He had watched her face like a hawk.

Her expression had changed from one of disgust and loathing to confusion then one of fear that was quickly swapped for nonchalance. Then when he had grabbed her leg, all he saw was fear.

He had seen her display this emotion a few times but it was always mixed in something else; pride, loathing, disgust, envy. But never had he ever witnessed Gu Yuan with such a pure feeling. Pure fear.

Yue Zheng's lips curled uncontrollably. A deep sense of satisfaction filled up his chest. But accompanying that was also another feeling- fascination, perhaps? Whatever it was, it began to slowly swirl up inside him.

One of the girls witnessed the grin slowly make its way on his face and felt her skin crawl.

This guy is a serious creep!

She backed away from him and went to Gu Yuan's side, leaving the other two girls to continue beating him.

Yue Zheng let go of the leg and curled himself into a quavering ball so that his face was hidden from the girls.

When Gu Yuan finally got her leg back, her breathing was heavy and her eyes were filled with layers of mist. Her heart beat thundered in her ears, as the relief spread through her. Finally, free. Finally.